Lancashire Cricket Board: "The time has come," the Walrus said,
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
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John Heaton on 25/02/2013 10:00:00
"To talk of many things
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax
Of cabbages and kings
And why the sea is boiling hot
And whether pigs have wings."
My very first ever Blog was on 13th July, 2011. This will be my one hundredth
and eleventh. My third ever century – two at cricket and one at blogs. I did
not finish my cricket career on a high note being cleaned bowled by a young
whipper snapper whilst masquerading as a 3rd XI Greenmount player at of all
places Stacksteads.
I have been pondering for a while whether I should decide that as far as my
blogging career is concerned maybe “the time has come”, and to finish whilst
the going is good. It has been getting harder and harder to keep things alive
and well, and to avoid repeating things – often a problem for septaguenarians.
I also think things possibly have begun to get a little sillier than they should
as well.
We have two months to go before the 2013 season gets fully underway and there is
a lot to do. In addition during that two months period the Good Lady and yours
truly will be off on another expedition.
I have decided to place myself on blog gardening leave for the period of time up
to the season’s start. At the end of that once things are underway then I can
reflect and possible stage a comeback. My feeling anyway is that in the cricket
season there is much more to talk about rather than waffling away through what
is left of the winter.
This is not a sudden happening as I have thought for a while that I needed a
blog break. Sharing the tensions of hoping the Shakers stay in Division One has
helped to a point but they definitely look doomed now. If you saw them on Sky on
Friday you will realise why.
It is at this time of the year there is much to be addressed PDQ.
Like …
Finalise the LSCA Fixture List for 2013. The Sage of Merseyside is busy
identifying grounds and has made good progress. I have now completed the list in
terms of actual games. I have been able to speak by email or phone with all our
opponents excepting Nottinghamshire Under 15 to agree dates etc. See later
!!!!
I will need to complete the U16 and Under 17 Boys programme. All the dates have
been agreed but not the grounds as yet.
The closing date for the LSCA Inter-Schools Competitions entries was last
Friday. As is now inevitable I have delayed closing down the entries and doing
the draws until next week. I ended up doing a multi-email memo to schools the
length and breadth of the county to remind them that I had not received their
entry form. We now have over a hundred schools entered for one or all of our
competitions at Under 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17. I now need to make a few phone
calls to schools who usually enter but have clearly not read the information
about the closing date.
Sometime next week I will start doing the draws and then arrange to print and
post them to the schools involved. Copies of all the draws will need to go on
the website.
We have an LSCA Executive Meeting on March 14th. I need to check the room is
booked at the Indoor Centre and then send out the Agenda and Minutes to the
committee members. To enable him to provide an up to date Financial Report I
will need to speak to Treasurer Geoff to let him know how much we have banked
this week from the Inter-School Entry Fees.
This week I will distribute the second round of Nomination Forms for our Under
11 through to Under 15 teams. These will go to the Main Contacts for each of the
District Cricket Groups around the county. They will get an email copy as well
as printed copies of the forms along with the list of names of players who do
not need nominating as they are already in the system. In addition at the same
time they will receive information about the first round of nominations for the
Under 10 team. This is the second year for this team and we only ask for
nominations at this time. The closing date for returning these forms will be
March 27th. This will allow managers and coaches to plan and finalise
arrangements for the outdoor trials process.
Sticking with the District theme I need to finalise the Information Booklet that
goes out to all Districts with regard to our County Competitions at Under 11, 13
and 15. We will do the Quarter Final draws at our Executive Meeting on March
14th. This Booklet is also posted on the LCB Website.
There was one piece of very important news with regards to the Under 15
Ainsworth Trophy Competition. The Final for this will take place at Old Trafford
on Monday September 16th.
The Players Handbook for 2013 gets distributed to everyone who is selected for
county age group team and contains invaluable information for both players,
parents, and for officials as well. I have agreed to sit down with the Mighty
Titch and Jenny when they return from Dubai to review the contents. We will need
to have this available by the end of April before the first of our scheduled
matches.
Talking of scheduled matches then the LCB will again be publishing the full
Fixture List in booklet format again in 2013 and True North will be producing
the copy. This Fixture List is already up on the website albeit with many
grounds still to be named.
The final task will be to contact all the counties visiting Lancashire in 2013
to confirm arrangements. Much is done by email but this always gives me the
heeby-jeebies. I once heard a tale of a county turning up to play another county
a week too soon. In all my years I have never had such a problem. I must admit
things have got perilously close on a few occasions when in doing the above
checks I have unearthed issues leading to last minute changes. Last year a
Yorkshire team turned up for a match at 9.30 believing the start time was 10.30.
The agreed time was 1.00pm. The Coach and Manager of the Yorkies were not happy
bunnies. We actually ended up being thrashed but I took great delight in sending
a copy of the original email to their manager and underscored the start time of
1.00pm. I would hate that to happen in reverse though.
Much to look forward to. Family life will continue. I took my Hyundai iX20 in
for its first service this week and they gave me a Hyundai iX35 as a loan car
for the day. Pretty impressive and so much so that I decided to give it a good
long test drive. The Good Lady, you know the one who must be obeyed at all time
without question, saw the car on our drive and uttered those famous words –
“You can get any thoughts straight out of your head – NOW”. I had actually
seen the price plate in the boot and unless Mr Lottery comes good I will have to
agree with her.
So Number 111 – will there be a number 112. Wait and see time. When the season
is underway I will think again.
A little earlier in this piece I mentioned that I had been unable to contact the
Nottinghamshire Under 15 Manager to confirm dates. Just had a phone call and all
has been sorted.
Some things get sorted pretty quickly whereas others require patience.
All this blogging has been great over the past eighteen months or so. I have
appreciated the many comments I have had either on the blog or when we have met
at various times. It really is time for a break and to concentrate on completing
the tasks before we fly off to join our next cruise. At least I will not have to
mislead you as to my whereabouts over the next eight or so weeks.
When I look at the virtually complete LCB Fixture Programme for 2013 I cannot be
other than thoroughly chuffed with it.
Steve Titchard is doing a wonderful job along with his armada of coaches,
managers and helpers. His style and manner of handling things has set a standard
which other counties will envy. I am really looking forward to the season of
2013. Yes it will bring personal pressures but that really applies to all that
great mass of parents, families and friends supporting their youngsters.
If I have made you laugh a little – great.
If I have upset anyone – sorry.
If I have been able to use this blog to get across masses of information in a
much more light hearted fashion – brilliant.
As Arnold Schwarzawhotsit said “Hasta La Vista”.
Was it Arnold or was it that other fellow Sylvester??
Mentioning movies – what about a VLOG in the future. A Video Blog. There
could be an opening there.
Just to tidy matters up regards the Mount. In my last Blog and the Levels
picture with Chris Schofield it is the one and only PLON better known as Andrew
Kerr just behind him.
And finally for all you literary people out there"The Walrus and the Carpenter"
was a poem written by Lewis Carroll that appeared in his book “Through the
Looking Glass”.
It was recited to Alice by Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
Enough said.